A clenched breath bereft of staggering ambition, in the short story a writer can explore ideas that don’t necessarily warrant a book. And at their best, extraordinary short stories can deliver as lasting visceral resonance as even the most exceptionally crafted novel. While the form is a great way to hone one’s writing chops, the mindful author also understands that short stories can be key to spanning the gulf between herself and new readership—readers who may then be encouraged to buy books. And now there’s an entirely new platform devoted to reaching those readers.
Committed to discovering and publishing great short fiction in the era of the mobile reader, Great Jones Street publishes (and pays well for) stories by A-list and emerging contemporary writers daily, having already curated thousands through its unique selection process. The company’s CEO and co-founder, Kelley Abbott, who’s helped launch and grow social media, dating, and publishing products purchased by Match.com, Adobe, and Oprah, will join us as a Special Guest Speaker to discuss the company’s innovative approach.
Advance Submission Readers
Though there’s more staff to announce, we’ve decided to open Advance Submission Readers selection early as so many have been confirmed. Along with many of the workshop staff, several agents have been confirmed, including Jennifer Kim of Sandra Dijkstra Literary, Patricia Nelson of Marsal Lyon Literary, Kari Sutherland of Bradford Literary, and Justin Wells of Corvisiero Literary. If you truly believe your work is ready for prime time and elect to submit to an agent, think of the cover letter accompanying your submission being akin to a regular query letter. This handy info graphic by David R. Slayton should help nail it into shape. Check out All About Advance Submissions for even more info.
That’s about it for now. September’s conference is taking shape, and we’re quite excited about the shape it’s taking. We’re introducing several new workshops, as usual, and will start rolling them out in June. Given the amount of memoir coming through, we’ll be addressing the subject not necessarily in a track, but more substantively than we have these past few conferences. Memoir is far trickier to write for market than—at least in our experience—many realize.
As discounted Early “Bard” Pre-registration is open, register today to save more for tomorrow’s investment in you.
–Michael Steven Gregory
Executive Director, SCWC
